A broad range and wide variety of absorbent articles configured for absorption of bodily exudates such as menstrual fluid are well known. Such products include, for example, diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products, and so forth. With respect to feminine hygiene, the art has offered two basic types of protection: namely sanitary napkins and panty liners, developed for external wear about the pudendum region, and tampons, developed for placement within the vaginal cavity, and accordingly for interruption of menstrual flow therefrom prior to such menstrual flow reaching the vestibule. Hybrid feminine hygiene protection devices, attempting to merge the structural features of both sanitary napkins and tampons in a single type of device, have also been proposed, but have not seen a meaningful measure of acceptance.
Other less intrusive devices, known as labial or interlabial devices or pads, have also been proposed. These articles are designed to reside primarily within the wearer's vestibule while having a portion residing at least partially external of the wearer's vestibule. Interlabial articles can provide a preferred profile of appearance when viewed through a wearer's outer garments and do not have the same problem of reliance on swelling within the vaginal canal as required by tampons. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,429; 4,175,561; 3,983,873; and 3,726,277 disclose various types of interlabial absorbent articles.
Interlabial absorbent articles are generally designed to be expelled by the urine stream when the wearer urinates. The article thus falls into a conventional toilet where it can be flushed. The relatively small size of interlabial devices facilitates flushing in conventional sewer and septic systems. However, care must still be taken that the articles disperse in the sewer or septic system so as not to obstruct or otherwise damage the system. In this regard, efforts have been made in the art to provide interlabial articles that dissipate or disperse quickly in water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,292 B1 describes an interlabial absorbent article that is designed so that the components of the article fragment within at least two hours of exposure to mildly agitated room temperature water. Alternately, the components may separate from each other without themselves fragmenting. The '292 patent teaches that it would be most preferred if the article fragmented within about 15 minutes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,523 describes a biodegradable and flushable mini-pad formed entirely of cellulosic materials. The outer panels are mechanically bonded at their perimeters without an adhesive to enhance biodegradation of the pad.
However, the desire for an interlabial absorbent article that disperses quickly in water may conflict with performance requirements for the article. Due to the relatively high water content of viscous and vaginal fluids, use of a water soluble adhesive (or no adhesive at all) that immediately starts to dissolve and cause the article to break up could sacrifice the seal strength and product integrity while in use. Wearing time of the product may also be reduced if the article tends to break apart prior to being expelled upon urination as intended. Absorbent articles that tend to fragment into individual components before or during flushing may also tend to cause clogging of a structure's plumbing system. The more components or articles that “travel” through a home's contorted plumbing system per absorbent article flushed increases the risk that any one such component may become entrapped or entangled on roots or the like, as compared to a single intact article.
Thus, a need exists for an absorbent article design, including an interlabial absorbent article, that offers the benefits of a dispersible product without sacrificing performance of the article or adding to the risk of plumbing clogs or other problems upon flushing the article.